#IndexAwards2019 Rappler editor and actor to judge international freedom of expression awards

5 Dec 2018 | Awards, Fellowship 2019, News and features, Press Releases

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”104120″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]Index on Censorship is proud to announce that award-winning investigative journalist Maria Ressa and actor Khalid Abdalla will join a panel of judges to decide the 2019 Freedom of Expression Awards Fellows.

The Freedom of Expression Awards, now in their 19th year, honour champions of free expression and those battling censorship around the world in the field of arts, campaigning, digital activism and journalism. Many have faced prosecution and punishment for their work.

Ressa has been a journalist in Asia for more than 30 years. She was CNN’s bureau chief in Manila then Jakarta, and became CNN’s lead investigative reporter focusing on terrorism in Southeast Asia. Now CEO and executive editor of Rappler.com, Ressa – winner of this year’s Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award presented by the Committee to Protect Journalists – is frequently targeted by Philippines’ increasingly autocratic president Rodrigo Duterte. Ressa and her company were formally indicted on multiple counts of tax evasion in late November. She is currently on bail pending her next appearance in court on 7 December.

Abdalla is a British-Egyptian actor, producer and filmmaker.  He has starred in award-winning films, including United 93, The Kite Runner and In the Last Days of the City, which he also produced. Abdalla is a founding member of three collaborative initiatives in Cairo – Cimatheque, Zero Production and Mosireen.

Abdalla said: “The abyss we are facing all over the world requires acts of courage and intellect capable of changing the terms of how we think and respond to the challenges ahead. We have to celebrate those who inspire us and lead by example, not just because they have managed to break barriers in their own contexts, but because some part of what they do holds a key for us all.”

The judging panel will also include British-Somali feminist, writer and social activist Nimco Ali, who is co-founder and director of Daughters of Eve, a survivor-led organisation which has helped to transform the approach to ending female genital mutilation (FGM). Nimco’s book RUDE: There Is No Such Thing as Over-Sharing is due out in early 2019; and British computer scientist Dr. Kate Devlin, who is a writer and senior lecturer in Social and Cultural Artificial Intelligence at King’s College London. Her book, “Turned On: Science, Sex and Robots”, explores intimacy and ethics in the digital age.

Announcing the judging panel, Index on Censorship chief executive Jodie Ginsberg said: “Our award winners and nominees often face huge personal and professional risks work defending the right for everyone to speak freely. The awards draw attention to the repression that they face every day and give us a chance to celebrate and support these inspiring journalists, activists, and artists.

“We’re excited to announce this year’s remarkable panel of judges, who are leaders and experts in their fields. The Freedom of Expression Awards Fellowship recognise global free speech heroes and provide assistance so that their important work can continue.”

Previous winners of the Freedom of Expression Awards include Nobel Peace Prize winner Pakistani education campaigner Malala Yousafzai, Honduran investigative journalist Wendy Funes and Yemeni artist Murad Subay. Hundreds of public nominations are made for the awards each year. Many of those nominated are regularly targeted by authorities or by criminal and extremist groups for their work. Some face regular death threats, others criminal prosecution.

Previous judges include Serpentine Galleries CEO Yana Peel, digital campaigner and entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, Harry Potter actor Noma Dumezweni, novelist Elif Shafak, award-winning journalist and former editor-in-­chief of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker Tina Brown and human rights lawyer and shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer.

The Freedom of Expression Awards Fellowship ceremony 2019 will be held on 4 April in London.

More information about the judges follows:

For Index on Censorship

Sean Gallagher, [email protected]

About the Freedom of Expression Awards Fellowship

Winners of the 2019 Freedom of Expression Awards Fellowship receive 12 months of capacity building, coaching and strategic support. Through the fellowships, Index seeks to maximise the impact and sustainability of voices at the forefront of pushing back censorship worldwide. More information

About Index on Censorship

Index on Censorship is a London-based non-profit organisation that publishes work by censored writers and artists and campaigns against censorship worldwide. Since its founding in 1972, Index on Censorship has published some of the greatest names in literature in its award-winning quarterly magazine, including Samuel Beckett, Nadine Gordimer, Mario Vargas Llosa, Arthur Miller and Kurt Vonnegut. It also has published some of the world’s best campaigning writers from Vaclav Havel to Elif Shafak.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][staff name=”Khalid Abdalla, Actor and Filmmaker” profile_image=”104118″]Khalid Abdalla is an actor, producer and filmmaker who also works in cultural production and alternative media. He has starred in award winning films, including Paul Greengrass’s United 93 and Green Zone, Marc Forster’s The Kite Runner, Tala Hadid’s The Narrow Frame of Midnight, and Tamer El Said’s In the Last Days of the City – which Khalid also produced. In documentary film he has producing credits on Hanan Abdalla’s In the Shadow of a Man and the upcoming film by Hanan Abdalla & Cressida Trew, The Vote and has appeared in Jehane Noujaim’s Oscar nominated The Square. Khalid is a founding member of three collaborative initiatives in Cairo – Cimatheque, Zero Production and Mosireen. Brought up in the UK to Egyptian parents, Cairo and London are his two cities. [/staff][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][staff name=”Nimco Ali, Writer and Social Activist” profile_image=”104121″]Nimco Ali is a British Somali feminist, writer and social activist. She is co-founder and director of Daughters of Eve, a survivor-led organisation which has helped to transform the approach to ending female genital mutilation (FGM), and is the lead advisor to the UK’s APPG to End FGM. She is working to ban FGM in Somaliland, is a former ambassador for #MAKERSUK and was awarded Red Magazine’s Woman of the Year award 2014 and placed No. 6 in Woman’s Hour Power List. Her book ‘RUDE’ There Is No Such Thing as Over-Sharing comes out in early 2019.[/staff][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][staff name=”Kate Devlin, Writer and Academic” profile_image=”104081″]Kate Devlin is a writer and an academic in the department of Digital Humanities in King’s College London where she works on artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction. Her book, Turned On: Science, Sex and Robots, explores intimacy and ethics in the digital age. [/staff][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][staff name=”Maria Ressa, CEO and Executive Editor” profile_image=”104085″]Maria Ressa is CEO and executive editor of social news network Rappler in the Philippines. She has been a journalist in Asia for more than 30 years  and was CNN’s bureau chief in Manila then Jakarta, and became CNN’s lead investigative reporter focusing on terrorism in Southeast Asia. She is an author of two books on terrorism, co-founder of production company Probe and later managed ABS-CBN News and Current affairs. Maria has won numerous awards for her work, including the prestigious Golden Pen of Freedom Awards in 2018.[/staff][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content” equal_height=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1515150485442{background-color: #cb3000 !important;}” el_class=”text_white”][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_custom_heading text=”Support the Index Fellowship” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” use_theme_fonts=”yes” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indexoncensorship.org%2Fsupport-the-freedom-of-expression-awards%2F|||”][vc_column_text]

By donating to the Freedom of Expression Awards you help us support individuals and groups at the forefront of tackling censorship.

Find out more

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1543427572500{background-image: url(https://www.indexoncensorship.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2018-fellows-1000.jpg?id=100251) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Don’t lose your voice. Stay informed.” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Index on Censorship is a nonprofit that campaigns for and defends free expression worldwide. We publish work by censored writers and artists, promote debate, and monitor threats to free speech. We believe that everyone should be free to express themselves without fear of harm or persecution – no matter what their views.

Join our mailing list (or follow us on Twitter or Facebook) to receive our weekly newsletter, monthly events email and periodic updates about our projects and campaigns. See a sample of what you can expect here.

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Cuba: Index calls for the immediate release of artists arrested for peacefully protesting law that will limit artistic freedom

4 Dec 2018 | Artistic Freedom Statements, Awards, Campaigns, Campaigns -- Featured, Cuba, Fellowship, Fellowship 2018, Statements

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Yanelys Nuñez Leyva and Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara. The Museum of Dissidence
2018 Freedom of Expression Awards at Metal, Chalkwell Park, Essex.

Update: All arrested artists have now been released, although they remain under police surveillance. Cuba’s vice minister of culture Fernando Rojas has told the Associated Press that changes will be made to Decree 349 but has not opened dialogue with the artists involved in the campaign against the decree.  

Index on Censorship calls for the immediate release of Cuban artists protesting against a decree they say could stifle creativity and increase censorship.

Members of the 2018 Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Award-winning Museum of Dissidence, Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara and Yanelys Nuñez Leyva, are among those arrested and whose whereabouts are currently unknown. Performance artists Tania Bruguera was also detained.

Index fears for the artists’ well-being following reports of threats of violence by state security. There is a heavy police presence at the homes of artists who said they would be participating in the peaceful protest in front of the Ministry of Culture.

Otero Alcàntara and Nuñez Levya couldn’t make it to the Index awards ceremony in April but were in the UK to finally receive their award on 18 October at Metal arts centre in Chalkwell Hall, Southend. The Museum of Dissidence, a public art project celebrating dissent in Cuba, has constantly faced opposition, criticism and imprisonment for its art and activism.

“Luis Manuel and Yanelys have made clear that they want dialogue with the government to repeal this decree and include independent artists in the decisions that affect them. Criminalising art should never be an option. We call for the artists’ immediate release,” said Index on Censorship CEO Jodie Ginsberg.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1544094896838-be240ea9-89bc-10″ taxonomies=”23772″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

One year after arrests of murder suspects, international NGOs condemn continued lack of justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia

4 Dec 2018 | Campaigns, Campaigns -- Featured, Statements

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Nine international freedom of expression, press freedom, and professional journalists’ organisations condemn the lack of justice for the assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia a full year after three arrests were made in connection with the case. Caruana Galizia was killed by a car bomb that detonated near her home in Bidnija, Malta on 16 October 2017.

On 4 December 2017, 10 people were arrested in connection with Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder, of whom three men were charged with murder, the criminal use of explosives, criminal conspiracy, and involvement in organised crime. However, a full year later, the three men have still not yet been brought to trial, and the investigation has failed to yield any further tangible results.

We again emphasise the need for full justice for Caruana Galizia’s murder; every person involved in the planning and carrying out of this heinous attack must be identified and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

To that end, and in light of the clear deficiencies of the ongoing criminal investigation, we reiterate our support for the Caruana Galizia family’s call for a public inquiry into whether Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination could have been prevented, and to determine whether any changes to law, policies, or practices are required in order to protect the lives of journalists in Malta. We again urge Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to establish without delay an inquiry in line with the Third Opinion published on 30 November by Bhatt Murphy Solicitors and Doughty Street Chambers.

We further express our profound disappointment that the Maltese authorities have not addressed any of the serious concerns identified by the joint freedom of expression mission to the country undertaken by six of our organisations from 15 to 17 October. On the contrary, the free expression climate in Malta has continued to deteriorate since our mission.

We particularly note the Maltese authorities’ continuous actions not only to destroy on a daily basis the protest memorial honouring Caruana Galizia, but also to construct increasingly elaborate barriers around the protest memorial to prevent the public from exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful protest.

We continue to follow with concern the dozens of ongoing civil defamation lawsuits that continue against Caruana Galizia posthumously – including cases filed by the Prime Minister, his chief of staff, and the Minister of Tourism – as well as a case brought by the Prime Minister that continues against Caruana Galizia’s son Matthew. We are also closely following the unprecedented attempt by Speaker of Parliament Anglu Farrugia, at the request of ruling party MP Glenn Bedingfield, to censor a report about a parliamentary debate by The Shift News.

Finally, we note the failure by the Maltese government to report accurately on the free expression climate in the country in its report to the UN Human Rights Council for the Universal Periodic Review of Malta on 14 November. The state report neglected to include Caruana Galizia’s assassination, or other areas of widespread violations that have taken place in Malta, despite the fact that the country experienced the world’s sharpest decline in Reporters Without Borders’ 2018 World Press Freedom Index, falling 18 places to 65th out of 180 countries.

In light of these worrying developments, we again urge the Maltese authorities to:

  • Redouble efforts to identify and prosecute all those involved in the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, including the masterminds behind the attack;
  • Immediately establish a public inquiry into whether Caruana Galizia’s assassination could have been prevented and whether lessons can be learned for the future;
  • Cease all forms of attack against Caruana Galizia posthumously and against those who continue to fight for justice for her murder, as well as independent media such as The Shift News that continue to pursue public interest investigative reporting;
  • Accept and implement the recommendations made during the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review of Malta; and
  • Take concrete steps as a matter of urgent priority to improve the wider freedom of expression climate in the country.

Signed:

Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

The Committee to Protect Journalists

European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)

European Federation of Journalists

International Press Institute

IFEX

Index on Censorship

PEN America

PEN International

 

Press contact: Rebecca Vincent, UK Bureau Director for Reporters Without Borders at +44 (0)20 7324 8903 or [email protected].[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1543919409223-f401f7cb-ee84-6″ taxonomies=”18782″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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